Chapter 27 – Silk’s mirror trap

After this part the memories started becoming hazy, all he knew was there was a deep sense of loss. Silk's life seemed to be unanimous for loss. He could see remember that the workshop broke up and he went to make the neutral collective.

The room he was in was luxurious. The walls were a stainless white, it was almost like he was in heaven however he knew that was an impossibility. The bed he was on was fluffy and when he looked to his left, he saw both Phoenix and Crusher sitting on the seats asleep.

Getting up he walked over tapping on their shoulders to wake them up. "We have to go deal with someone," he announced.

"You bet," Phoenix grumbled. "I don't like being abducted. He was so powerful that neither of us stood a chance."

"Seems about right," Silk smiled. For some reason he had very good memories of him. He went to open the door.

"Who is the mysterious king then?" Crusher asked sternly and seriously.

Silk's hand stopped on the door handle. "Oak the owl. Humanoid creature from a race of highly intelligent beings, joined the demonic army for a time to trade knowledge of genetics with his brilliant mind. He can outthink us while conducting an orchestra of musically challenged people perfectly. My friend and enemy all rolled into one, second most annoying individual in my life after Maya but certainly the most dangerous."

"How do you know someone as legendary as him?" Phoenix was curious. "He is a legend in the demonic war."

"We were both part of the workshop. I am the tailor Silk the spider, Oak was the carpenter, Bronze the blacksmith and Atom was the alchemist. Oak and I are the remnants. Do you want to keep up this interrogation?" Silk asked slightly annoyed by this questioning.

"I do have one question," Crusher said ignoring the tone in Silk's voice. "Have you been given titles other than Silk the spider."

"Yes," Silk answered in a warning voice.

Crusher caught on and didn't ask any further questions. He went to take a set but Silk stopped him by opening the door and walking out, Crusher felt obligated to follow and Phoenix was loyal to Crusher so followed after them.

"What is your plan for Oak?" Crusher asked.

"Hear him out, he is one of my closest friends after all." Silk knew that Oak did what he thought was for the best, while this caused disagreements with each other it also bred respect with between them.

"He might kill you." Phoenix pointed out.

"I'd like to see him try."

"Don't be cocky, he could kill you as easily as swatting a fly." Crusher stated this from his encounter with Oak.

"Maybe, but he wouldn't," he announced confidently.

Do you know where you are going?" Phoenix asked after noticing the same door twice.

"No," Silk yet again answered with the same confidence.

"Well that's okay then," she retorted sarcastically.

"Glad you agree," he remained unphased.

"Have you at least been keeping track of the way we are going?" Crusher asked.

"Yes, and yet no." Silk answered. "These corridors are twisting impossibly so we are in some sort of warped reality where space is in the control of Oak. His space magic is a pain to deal with."

"Demons like their space magic," Crusher insinuated Oak's relationship with the demons.

"The only reason the demons know space magic is because Oak taught them," Silk retorted getting the wrong end of the stick. "The only reason demons know time magic is because of Atom."

"Did you teach the demons anything?" Phoenix asked in an accusatory way.

"No, my magic is mine and no one else's. It has a whole new model behind it that isn't used on any worlds I am aware of."

"You fought in the demonic war?" Crusher questioned only just thinking about the story Silk had told.

"Yes, can't remember most of it. I think I did that to myself for some reason, I presume to try and make me live a peaceful life." Silk answered with a grim face.

Suddenly they appeared in the throne room. The transition was seamless and threw everyone off.

"I wondered when you would notice me strolling about," Silk called across the room.

Oak started strolling up to the three of them, unlike in the books though the aura didn't make them step back. Aura's are only possible in short bursts with extreme effort and even then, all it is is the manifestation of magical power.

"The demons are invading and they are using the mirror kind to do it," Oak said with an air of authority.

"What are you saying?" Silk asked.

"Help me, this world doesn't have the capacity to fight them, they will be eradicated." Oak answered.

"Why are the demons interested in this place?" Silk continued the questioning.

"They are after me, I did something stupid."

"If they are after you just leave. The demons will follow." Phoenix chirped in.

"Well little bit nosey, these people helped me during a hard time, I'm indebted to them," Oak retorted.

"Doesn't change the fact that leaving would be the optimum way to help." Silk pointed out.

"Too late, they made their move so the demons will finish the job," Oak argued.

"True," he agreed.

"How can we help then," Crusher got straight to the point. He had a good impression of Oak.

"I can't hunt down the demons so I would like you to do it for me," he said.

"What do we get from this?" Phoenix asked.

"Anything from the demons." Oak answered.

"Yeah right," she laughed. "No one can beat the demons and take their stuff and live to tell the story."

"You can ask anything from me afterwards as well." Oak added.

"Deal," Phoenix declared happily. "That whole act before was just a haggling tactic," she whispered to Crusher and Silk.

"Looked pretty normal to me," Silk commented. He took out the octagon object from Sarah, "this can trap the mirror kind so this is our secret weapon."

Oak looked at it and laughed. "Are you really planning to thwart the demon's invasion attempt with a cheap tool like that. You are always full of surprises."

"Demons aren't all seeing, all knowing beings. They aren't invincible, there is always a way it just sometimes takes a bit of out of the box thinking." Silk then turned to Phoenix and Crusher, "Charles is in this city and will be our first targets, have either of you met the mirror kind."

"No," they answered in unison.

"They trick you into going into an illusion slash parallel world which if you die in the mirror kind control you in the real world. They also won't die from killing the controlled body, that's what this tool is for," he said displaying the octagon object in his hand.

"During my cultivation I got an immunity to illusions so I will be fine," Crusher declared.

Oak was sniggering, "and you work with these people now."

"You can't be immune, didn't you hear the parallel world bit," Silk reminded him.

"My magical energy is so immense that it is impossible for me to travel between dimensions," Phoenix declared confidently.

"Yet I seem to remember you traveling in a train between worlds, that takes so much more energy." Silk wasn't particularly enjoying this display of logic and understanding. "Both of you can beat me in a fight and yet you can be so dense."

"And you aren't dense," Oak said sarcastically. "Space magic and you didn't connect it to me."

"What are you talking about," Silk snapped back. Suddenly he had a realisation. "Space magic," he pointed at Oak. He then proceeded o hitting himself on the head. "Stupid Silk, stupid," he chanted. "Those red robed idiots were trained by you, I almost died to them."

"No you didn't," Oak replied to the statement.

"You're right, I didn't."

"Are we going to leave then?" Crusher asked rhetorically turning to leave.

"Yes, good talk Oak." Silk said waving goodbye enthusiastically.

"Lets just go," Phoenix dragged Silk to the door of the throne room.

"By the way Silk," Oak called after them. "If you do this for me, I can show you the way to the bastion of light. It isn't as good as the stories but you should be able to live a peaceful life if you so wish." Oak then waved a hand and Silk was with Phoenix and Crusher in the middle of a field just outside of the city.

"Why couldn't he have just sent us to the middle of town?" Phoenix groaned.

"It would have blown our cover," Crusher volunteered the answer.

"My cover is blown so while I can help, I won't be able to gather information so I will set up camp." Silk laid down this plan quickly but only because he had been thinking about it since he knew what Oak wanted.

"How do you gather information?" Phoenix and Crusher looked at him perplexed.

"Dear god, you lack common sense. Find somewhere where people gather and talk, like a pub. It's not hard. Just don't get caught." He sighed. "Once we find the target all we have to do is extract it with the mirror trap," he held up the octagonal object.

Phoenix's face quickly changed to one of pity, "you're not very good at naming things."

"Shut up," Silk shouted.